This invention relates generally to an oven, and more particularly to a countertop oven including trays with heat-resistant handles which slide into slots formed in the oven side walls adapted for taking the trays directly from the oven to the table for serving.
There are many small countertop-type ovens available today. These ovens are commonly referred to as toaster ovens and are manufactured by a wide variety of domestic and foreign producers. Most such toaster ovens are substantially similar in size, features and functions. The main differences between the various toaster ovens available concern details of the controls and minor differences in the oven capacity and proportions.
One such popular toaster oven is approximately 14 inches wide, 81/2 inches in depth at the base and about 71/2 inches in height. The oven has a front door which pivots downward to open exposing the interior wherein a pair of heating coils extend across the front and rear of the top of the oven and two heating coils extend across the middle of the base. A wire frame tray snuggly fits into grooves on the interior walls of the oven for toasting. The wire grill will receive four pieces of conventional bread for toasting at one time. A broiler pan is provided which may be placed on the grill for heating. The oven controls are positioned to the right side of the oven door and permit the user to regulate oven temperature for baking and a toast control.
One manufacturer markets a countertop oven model having two shelves for heating two frozen dinners at one time. The manufacturer's instructions indicate that the food package cooking instructions should be followed. However, in actual tests it was found that this particular two-shelf model did not perform in a completely satisfactory manner as it required about 50 percent more time to cook the dinners than the package instructions.
Most of the toaster ovens available are rated at 1500 watts. They generally have thermostatic controls which permit control of oven temperature. Such conventional thermostatic controls permit the user to set the oven for a desired temperature. This temperature is maintained automatically through cycling action. The electric circuits for maintaining the temperature are housed behind the controls, generally on the side of the oven.
Some larger countertop ovens, generally identified as "broiler ovens" include a rotisserie attachment with a motor positionable on one side of the oven housing and an outside handle on the opposite side of the oven for receiving a spit that slides into a slot and is engaged by the motor at the opposite end for turning the spit.
It would be desirable to provide a countertop oven which operated in a more energy efficient manner than the conventional countertop ovens available and one where the tray utilized for heating the food in the oven could be conveniently removed from the oven without the need for insulated potholders, and placed directly on a table for serving.